Cupboard catch



July 18, 1950 A. F. LlCKTElG 2,515,560

CUPBOARD CATCH Filed May 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l u y 18, 1950 A. F. LICKTEIG 2,515,569

CUPBOARD CATCH Filed May 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm ALBERT F. Lmmm m .N&

ATTORNEMS Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED STATES AT EN T O 'F F '1 CE.

CUPBOARD CATCH Application May 13, 1946, Serial:.No. 669,411

4'Claims. (Cl. 292-166) This. invention relates. tocupboard. catches or latches. It is a primary object and purpose of the present invention to produce a, .catch of the typestated. which ismounted ona cupboard or other small. light weight, doorandwhich, when thedoor is. closed, automatically engages with a keeper toreleasably hold the'door. in .closedposition, and. is released merely by finger pressure within. a handle at the outer side of the door operating through a. short distance against a lever. and.v pushv rod mechanism for disengaging the. latch from the keepenandat. thesame time simultaneously pulling thedoor open. A further object. of. the invention is. to provide. a latch made, largely, from sheetmetal parts ina very economical and practical manner. Astill further object is .to provideahandle. structure. upon which the keeper releasing mechanism iscarried and which, though necessarily oia small size, may be grasped by thefingersand the keeper. release readily operatedthrougha short distanceof operation, yet withdrawing thelatch fully and completely. from itsv engagement. with. the keeper. Many other objects and. purposes will appear and be. understood from the following description of a practicaLpreferred form of structure embodying the invention, andillustrated in the. accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1.is a fragmentary, horizontal section and p1an,.the section being through the door and the door casing or jam, and the plan view being of the latch structure. v

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the door from outer or inner sides and through the handle and latch releasing mechanism, the latch structure being shown in endelevation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the'latch structure substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. i is a horizontal section-through the latch, the section beingtaken immediately below the upper side of the latch housing, the latch mechanism beingshown in operative holding position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. lwith' the latch mechanism operated to withdraw it toreleasing position.

Fig. 6 is .a vertical section substantially on the plane oflinezt -fi 'of" Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevation and vertical section through the handle, the manually operable release mechanismabeing shown iii-elevation.

Fig. Sisan elevation takenat the inner side 01 the handle.

Fig, 9' is a: horizontal. transverse section substantiallyon theaplanewof IineSY-QofIFig. 2, and

Fig. 1.0 shows in perspectivetheseveral parts of the latch mechanism, excepting the spring thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction of the cupboard catch, a base plate I of thin sheet metahof the form best shown in Fig. 10, has a centralopening through it with a short cylindrical flange or guide sleeve 2 extending from the outer side of the plate around said opening. At its inner side the plate is formed with two ledges-3, as shown in Fig. 10, in. alinement with each other and at opposite sides of said central opening. Theplate isalso provided with two inwardly extending short sleeves 4-, pressed therefromand disposed oneai each side of such center opening and substantially at right angles to the ledgest.

A- housing. also .made from sheetmetal hastwo spaced parallel sides 5,.each atone end. pressed inwardly a short distance as indicated at 5a. From one of the edges of the sides 5, flanges 6 are .turnedat right angles, each having. an.open ing through which a-sleeve 4, may pass and be pressed outwardly at its outer end to make a secure connection of the housing to the plate. The other edges of thesides 5. are integrally connected by an integral. outer or top section I, which is extended away. from the inwardly pressed portions. 511 to the other ends of the housing sides, and terminates in a bolt guiding ear 8 as shown, having an opening through which one end of the latch or catchbolt freely passes. At the opposite end of the part I a tongue, as shown at 9, and bent at its free end as shown is located between the parts 5o. Each of the sides approximately at the-end of the ear 8 has portions of the metal forced inwardly to make bearing sleeves I!) of short length, which extend toward each other.

The latch or catchzbolt is made from a bar of metal, the major'portion of the'length of which comprises a bolt section II rectangular in cross section and adapted at its free end to pass through the opening inthe .ear 3. Atthe opposite end of the section H the bolt is'widened at l2, and terminates in'a head [3 of general triangular form, having a beveled outer edge. [4 and at its inner side shaped with edge portions Hi and Hi, the part 35 lying at an obtuse angle to the part l6 which angle is a few degrees less' than degrees. The part It: is adaptedwtoride upon the surface of the adjacent ledge 3 of the. base or bottom plate. A coiled compression spring I1 is located around the latch bolt section H, at one 3. end bearing against the ear 8 and at the other against the shoulder at the inner end of the widened portion I2 of the bolt.

A pivot pin I8 extends through and is located between the inset portions a of the sides 5 oi the housing on which a bolt actuating lever is mounted for turning movement. Said lever is made from a piece of fiat metal with two spaced sides I9 connected b an integral bridge portion 20 located to one side of the pivot I 8, while at the other side two spaced arms 2I extend at an angle to the sides I9 as shown. Such bolt retracting member straddles the head I3 of the latch bolt with the sides I9 at opposite sides oi such head and with the bridge 20 bearing against the beveled edge I4. The arms 2| extend from the pin I8 into the housing at opposite sides of the spring I'I (Fig. 4). The bolt has a limited free floating movement between pin I8, the ledge 3 and the actuating member therefor which permits manufacture without close tolerances and obviates rattling, while such latch is applicable to doors varying to some extent in thickness.

A lever to move the immediate bolt actuating member described is provided, made from sheet metal having two parallel sides 22, connected between their ends by an integral bridge portion 23. Each of the sides 22 has a finger 24 rounded at its outer end which bears against arm 2|. At the other ends of the sides 22, recesses 25 are made for the reception of the sleeves IEl, whereby the lever is mounted for a pivotal movement on said sleeves prior to the connection of the housing to the base plate I which plate, when it is secured in place, has the other of said ledges 3 in close proximity to the ends of the sides 22 in which the recesses 25 are made, thereby maintaining the lever against disconnection.

An actuating rod 26 passes through a horizontal opening made in the door and through the guide sleeve 2 with its inner end bearing against the bridge 23 of the last described lever. It is evident that by a longitudinal movement of rod 26 inwardly, said lever will be swung from the position in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, the bolt being retracted and spring I'I compressed and that the movement of rod 26 will be multiplied by the lever construction disclosed, so that the bolt is retractable on a minimum movement of rod 26 and the means which actuates it.

The actuating means for the rod 26 is mounted on a handle structure which has an inner member 28 of sheet metal at opposite ends provided with fiat sections 21 and 29 which are placed against the outer side of the door 38 and secured. by screws or other equivalent connections. The intermediate portion 28 of the handle is curved outwardly and away from the door from said sections 21 and 29, and in said curved section a vertical slot is cut for the pivotal mounting of rlever 3| of sheet metal of channel form, and which is mounted, for a limited rocking movement, on an ear or tongue 32 struck outwardly from the intermediate portion of the curved sec" tion 28 of the handle and passes through an opening made in the web in the lever 3| substantially midway between its ends. The lower end of the lever 3| is provided with an ear 3 I a. serving to stop the lever from further movement when the lower end portion of the lever has reached a selected position as shown in Fig. 2.

The upper end of the lever is connected over a knob or head 33 at the outer end of the rod 26. A coiled sprin 34 around the rod 26 between said head and section 21 normally urges the lever 3| to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The handle is completed by an outer cover 35 of sheet metal of a general channel or U-shaped form in cross section, having terminal flanges 36 (Figs. 8 and 9) which may be located underneath the intermediate section 28 of the handle, being applied by pressing the cover into place.

The latch is mounted on the inner side of the door as shown in Fig. 1. A keeper 38 is secured at the edge of the door with a leg thereof extending into the door opening, as shown in Fig. 1. Upon closing an open door, the inclined bridge 20 comes against the edge of said keeper leg and the bolt is moved longitudinally until after the keeper leg has been passed by. The bolt is projected outwardly by the spring H, the under surface I5 of the keeper head I3 riding over the inner side of said keeper leg, thereby holding the door in closed position.

To release the latch, the handle is grasped and a finger or fingers inserted between the door and the operating lever 3|. An outward pull will thereupon operate said lever to move the rod 26 inwardly. This turns the lever within the latch housing about the sleeves ID from the position in Fig. 4 to beyond that in Fig. 5, with a consequent turning of the bolt actuating member about its pivot I8 in a counter-clockwise direction. The edge of the bridge portion 20 bears upon the beveled edge M of the keeper head moving the bolt longitudinally against the spring H to move it beyond the edge of the keeper leg with which engaged. This releases the door for opening which will follow by reason of the outward pull which is being exerted on the handle.

The construction is a veryeconomically manufactured latch of its type. Its size is substantially that indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 which are drawn to approximate full scale, as the latch is made in practice. Of course, it is understood that the particular dimensions illustrated do not limit the invention thereto. The latch is easily operated, the parts are manufactured and assembled in large quantities at lower cost. The latch is easily operated for its release by movement of the lever 3| through a small distance, which is transmitted to the latch bolt for a movement through a greater distance than the movement of the lever 3|. The bolt is guided between the ledge 3 of base plate I, the surface I6 at the under edge of the bolt head riding thereon. It is further guided and held at its outer end against inward movement by the pivot pin I8, and at its rear by passage through the opening in ear 8, with sufiicient play between the bolt and pin I8 that a marked freedom of movement of the bolt is provided for varying conditions practically encountered in mounting the latch on doors, at the same time safeguarding against rattling from looseners of fitting parts.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A latch structure including, a housing having spaced sides and an outer side between said spaced sides at the outer edges thereof, one end of the outer side being continued between said sides inwardly and having an opening therethrough, a base closing the inner side of said housing, a latch bolt disposed lengthwise of and within the housing, having one end passing through said opening, the opposite end of the bolt having a head with a portion riding against said base and an inclined end, a coiled spring between said end of the housing located around the bolt, said bolt being enlarged at its head portion to provide shoulders between which and the end of the housing said spring is located, a bell crank lever actuating member having sides embracing the head and a connecting bridge portion bearing against the inclined end of the head, a pivot pin on which the actuating member is mounted extending between the sides of the housing and located between said bolt and the outer side of said housing, said bell crank lever having spaced arms extending from said pivot pin inwardly into the housing, and a manually operable means engaging said last mentioned arms for rocking said actuating member about its pivot to move the latch member against the spring.

2. In a latch structure, a housing of sheet metal having spaced sides integrally connected by an outer side, said side being continued at one end to extend inwardly between the spaced sides of the housing and having a guide opening therethrough, a base closing the inner side of the housing, a latch bolt having one end passing through said opening, said bolt at its opposite end portion being widened and extended toward the base to bear at its inner edge thereagainst, said bolt at its outer end being inclined at an acute angle to the base, a pivot pin extending between the spaced housing sides located adjacent the outer side of said widened portion of the belt, a coiled spring between said widened portion of the bolt and said inturned end of the housing, an actuating member mounted on the pivot pin, formed of flat metal having two spaced sides of bell crank form, said sides located at opposite sides of the bolt and comprising inner and outer arms the outer arms embracing opposite sides of the bolt head, said outer arms being connected by a bridge portion bearing against the inclined end of said bolt head, the inner arms extending into said housing, a lever located generally lengthwise of the housing adjacent the base having two spaced arms connected at their inner edges and between their ends by an integral bridge portion, one of the ends of each of said lever arms engaging against the ends of said inwardly extending arms of said actuating member, means for pivotally mounting said lever adjacent its opposite end on the housing, and a rod extending through the base engaging against the bridging portion of said lever, said rod being mounted for longitudinal movement.

3. In a latch structure, a housing having spaced sides and an open end, and provided with a guide opening through the other end of the housing, a base closing the inner side of the housing, a latch bolt having one end passing through said guide opening, said bolt at its opposite end portion being widened and extended toward the base to hear at its inner edge thereagainst, a pin between the spaced housing sides located adjacent the outer side of the widened portion of the bolt, a spring normally moving the bolt outwardly at the open end of the housing, an actuating member pivotally mounted on the pin having a part bearing against the outer end oi the bolt and extending from one side of the pin and having a portion extending into said housing at the other side thereof, a lever located within the housing adjacent the base having a free end bearing against said inwardly extending part of the actuating member, means pivotally mounting said lever adjacent its opposite end, and means engaging said lever between its ends for turning it about its pivot thereby moving said bolt against the spring.

4. In a latch structure, a housing having spaced sides, and an open end, the other end having a guide opening therethrough, a latch bolt having one end passing through said guide opening, a closing base for the housing, said bolt at its other end normally bearing against the base, a pivot pin extending between the spaced sides of the housing located adjacent but spaced a short distance from the outer edge of the bolt, spring means carried by the bolt normally moving it outwardly, an actuating member pivoted on the pivot pin having angularly disposed parts, one bearing against the outer end of the bolt and the other extending inwardly from the pin into the housing, a lever having a free end bearing against said last mentioned part of the actuatin member, pivotally mounted on said housing, and a manually operable push member engaging against the lever a distance from its free end for turning it about its pivot and moving the actuating member to retract the bolt against its projecting spring means.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 435,109 Woodcock Aug. 26, 1890 1,830,490 Stuart et a1. Nov. 3, 1931 2,203,817 Ferris June 11, 1940 2,321,724 Aldeen et a1 June 15, 1943 2,330,403 Borchers Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 257,362 Great Britain June 11, 1925 

